Though blockbuster explosions and hot young bodies may draw the
crowds to the theaters this summer, a different kind of action has
recently taken over the silver screen: social action.
As socially and politically relevant films increasingly continue
to enter the mainstream, UCLA students are walking out of theaters
with activism on their minds and opportunities to pursue it
provided by the filmmakers themselves.
In 2004, many students were inspired by “Hotel
Rwanda,” a film addressing the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s.
The film grossed over $30 million worldwide.
“”˜Hotel Rwanda’ definitely helped spur my
involvement in a lot of organizations ““ not necessarily with
that issue, but how we can help in general,” said fourth-year
political science and business economics student Samer Araabi, who
is also a USAC general representative and a highly involved
activist. “It helped me realize what a serious detriment
inaction can be.”
In recent years, several UCLA non-profit organizations have
realized the power of the filmic message.
Among them was UCLA Dance Marathon, which acquired full
exhibition rights to the 2003 Robert Billheimer AIDS documentary
“A Closer Walk” and used parts of film to educate
students during its annual fundraiser.
Invisible Children, an organization which has recently gained a
large presence on campus, was created by three young California
filmmakers after they made a documentary of the same name about the
suffering child soldiers and war of Northern Uganda.
The documentary ““ which targets a younger, college-age
audience ““ tours the country inspiring activism.
“(Socially relevant films) take an issue that is important
already to communities already working on it, and allows the
widespread population to become aware,” Araabi said.
“Awareness is the backbone of any successful campaign … and
movies can definitely open the doors for increased
support.”
While these smaller films inspire student activism, the American
mainstream has become surprisingly more accepting of socially and
politically contentious films.
The concept of social and political filmmaking hearkens back to
as early as the 1930s Depression Era, according to Jonathan Kuntz,
a UCLA associate professor of American film history. Yet by the
1990s, American filmmaking had arrived at a period of relative
ignorance, generally focusing on special-effects driven fantasy
instead of true-to-life reality.
“There are periods when it seems like (filmmakers) are
avoiding the main topics of the world,” Kuntz said.
“Now, again, they seem to be concerned again with
what’s really happening.”
According to Kuntz, Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit
9/11″ and Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the
Christ,” both released in 2004, paved the resurgence of
controversial filmmaking.
“The success of (these films) showed that a controversial
and political film can be a tremendous hit and a fabulous
moneymaker,” he said.
Participant Productions, a growing film production company
founded in 2004, has played a large role in bringing socially
relevant films to the fore.
Participant, which helped distribute or produce “Good
Night, and Good Luck.,” “Syriana,” “North
Country” and the upcoming “Fast Food Nation,”
also designs social campaigns through its Web site Participate.net,
encouraging activism in relation to each film.
For example, the campaign “Oil Change,” in
conjunction with “Syriana,” encourages participation in
the campaign against oil dependence. “Stand Up,” which
partners with “North Country,” teaches activists to
stand up against sexual harassment and domestic violence.
Most recently, Participant released former Vice President Al
Gore’s documentary about global warming, “An
Inconvenient Truth,” along with a campaign of the same
title.
Participant founder and eBay pioneer Jeff Skoll is using his
billionaire’s pocketbook to prove that movies can, in fact,
make a difference.
“Instead of people seeing a film and saying,
“˜I’m going to go and have a beer,’ they’d
go, “˜Wow, what can I do to help?’ And I wanted to give
them tools that could actually help,” he said in an interview
with the Toronto Star last September.
Participant’s award-winning films have had mixed
box-office success, but the ecologically revealing “An
Inconvenient Truth” recently broke per-screen box office
records on its opening weekend, just as “Syriana” did
last fall.
Meanwhile, non-Participant films such as “Crash” and
“Munich” have also claimed high returns while still
sending important social messages. Even the latest Wachowski
brothers’ film, “V for Vendetta,” was a
politically relevant cry against authoritarian Western government.
In terms of potential controversy, the film is more topically
substantial than the fantasy world of “The Matrix.”
“Seeing a representation of an important issue on screen
can sometimes be more emotionally powerful than reading about it.
It stirs something in you, something that makes you relate to the
characters and the situation,” said Lindsey Hilde, a
fourth-year political science student. “This stirring of
emotions is what inspires people to become actively involved in a
cause.”
As a Steering Committee member of the Darfur Action Committee,
Hilde has seen Don Cheadle project his on-screen power from his
starring role in “Hotel Rwanda” into real-life activism
as well. Cheadle, who also recently co-starred in
“Crash,” has spoken several times on behalf of DAC and
similar causes, both on the UCLA campus and off.
“He’s not just an actor, he’s a resource.
He’s an educator to the audience,” Hilde said.
Undoubtedly, whether on screen or off, stars such as Cheadle,
George Clooney and Charlize Theron are ensuring that socially and
politically controversial movies reach wider audiences. Thus
filmmakers have been able to capitalize on star power and create
films with powerful messages that receive national and sometimes
international attention.
“Of course the Al Gore (film) is directly positioned to
change your mind and get things going, to be out in front and
leading the way. And “˜Fahrenheit 9/11′ was certainly up
to date. It wasn’t just following trends; it was trying to
set trends,” Kuntz said.
By increasing awareness, mainstream cinema has begun to take a
stand against the issues of today’s society. And student
activists are turning the movie experience into inspiration to
fight against such causes. “(The filmmakers are) trying to
create change. And why not?” Kuntz said.
With additional reports from Ana Heller, A&E
contributor.